


Warmth: A Synonym for Affection

by shopfront



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - In Storybrooke | Cursed, Camping, F/F, First Kiss, Getting Together, Huddling For Warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-21 17:25:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11949075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopfront/pseuds/shopfront
Summary: Ruby can't believe there's someone living in Storybrooke she's never met before. (Canon divergence: Mulan was part of the first curse)





	Warmth: A Synonym for Affection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosecake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosecake/gifts).



> Thank you to trascendenza for the beta!

“Coffee, black,” Ruby announced, handing it over with a wink and a smile. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?”

“It’s warm, that’s good enough for me.”

Ruby leant across the counter, settling in with a curious tilt to her head. “Why don’t I know you?”

The other woman choked on her coffee. “I’m sorry? Do you normally know all your customers?”

“In this diner? Absolutely. Storybrooke isn’t exactly huge.”

“My name is Grace,” she said slowly while tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, and then grinned, “and Storybrooke must be a little bigger than you thought, because I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“How-“

“Thanks for the coffee,” Grace said, raising the drink in question as she stood and headed for the door.

“What?” Ruby repeated helplessly, before calling after Grace’s departing back. “But where in Storybrooke are you even from?”

*

“Where have you been?” Ruby cried, abruptly dropping the sidewalk sign to the ground with a clatter. Then she frowned at herself and started fixing the sign while Grace stared.

“Around,” Grace finally answered, looking surprised but also like she was trying to smother a giggle.

“Sorry,” Ruby said starting forward a step and then halting awkwardly. “Sorry, that was incredibly rude of me. I just- I have been _looking everywhere for you_. It was like you were some kind of wraith who just up and disappeared into thin air!”

Grace burst out laughing. “I thought you knew everyone in this tiny town?”

“I do!” Ruby cried, throwing up her hands. “And none of them could help me find you, either.”

“Ruby!”

Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes. “Not now Granny,” she called over her shoulder.

“I think you need to go,” Grace said, laughing harder when Granny just yelled Ruby’s name louder.

“But you still haven’t answered me. Or told me, oh, anything at all about yourself. I have so many questions!”

“You'll just have to work harder for your answers then,” Grace pointed out as she started walking again, heading past Ruby and down the street. "Besides, I told you my name, didn’t I? That's a start."

“ _Ruby!_ ”

“Coming! God, I’m coming,” Ruby yelled back, still looking after Grace's departing back. “Just… dammit.”

*

“This time you’re not getting away so easily,” Ruby declared triumphantly, stomping across the beach until she was standing toe to toe with Grace.

Grace ducked her head and chuckled.

Ruby huffed at the lack of response. “I like a mystery as much as the next girl, but you can't tell me to work harder and then leave me with exactly nothing to go on. I haven’t seen you for weeks. _Again_.”

“You seem surprised by that, even though it took you years to notice me in the first place,” Grace said, turning away to resume picking up driftwood from the sand.

“True,” Ruby said consideringly. “But so not at all the point. Where do you even disappear off to? Like I said before, Storybrooke is not that big.”

Grace looked Ruby up and down, lingering on her heeled boots where they sunk into the sand and the swing of her earrings when she shook her head at Grace impatiently.

“The woods,” she said at last, then smiled and walking off again after she'd picked up the last piece of wood within reach.

Ruby followed after her closely.

“You live in the woods?”

“Kind of,” Grace said, then murmured a thank you when Ruby huffed and picked up a piece of wood to add to Grace’s pile.

“Nobody lives in the woods.”

“No one that you knew of before a few weeks ago,” Grace said with an arched eyebrow and a sideways glance, while still examining the amount of wood in her grasp carefully. Then suddenly she pivoted and headed away from the water.

“Wait,” Ruby cried, hurrying after her once more. “Slow down, where are you going?”

“I really would love to stay and chat,” Grace said with another long look at Ruby and a quirk of her lips, before dropping the logs on top of a small pile of driftwood Ruby had sailed right past when she’d arrived and then dropping to her knees beside it. "But I need to get these to Gepetto before lunch."

“I don’t understand,” Ruby said as she watched Grace pull a coil of rope from her pocket and start efficiently tying the wood together in bundles.

“What is there to understand?” Grace asked, standing again and dusting the sand off her hands and knees before using a loop of the rope to hoist the bundles over her shoulder.

“… Everything!” Ruby cried.

Grace just looked at her for a long moment. “I'm busy today, but how about I come get another coffee soon and you can ask me all the questions you want?”

“Alright,” Ruby said grudgingly. “I mean, I’d rather you let me ask you them now but-“

“Don't pretend you're not enjoying the chase, here."

Ruby blushed. "So, the diner," she said after a pause, biting her lip. "It’s a date?”

Grace just laughed and walked away again.

*

“Gepetto told me you had a lot of questions for him,” was the first thing Grace said as she came through the door to the diner, an exaggerated frown on her face but her tone warm. “I always keep my word. You could have waited to see me instead of harassing him.”

“You said soon. This is not soon. It’s not like he told me anything, anyway, and besides he always enjoys a bit of company,” Ruby said dismissively, already reaching for the coffee pot and walking around the counter.

Grace dropped into a booth, and tilted her head in reluctant agreement. “I suppose he does, at that.”

Ruby poured them both drinks, and then returned the pot behind the counter and stuck her head through the doorway to call out to Granny that she was taking her break. When there was no answer she shrugged, and then slid eagerly into the seat opposite Grace regardless.

“So,” she said.

“So,” Grace replied, smiling into her coffee as she took a sip.

Ruby made an impatient noise.

“I suppose I should be flattered by such intense curiosity?” Grace said, eyes twinkling when Ruby look abashed. “I’m a hiker. I spend most of my time in the woods around here, so that’s probably why you haven’t seen me around much. I only head back to town to do odd jobs and resupply.”

“That’s so cool!” Ruby cried. “And wow, you actually do live in the woods, I didn't think you meant that. I can’t even imagine what that’s like.”

“You could join me, sometime.”

“Me?” Ruby asked, eyes wide. “You have got to be joking.”

“Why not? You just said it sounded cool, and Gepetto told me you’re always complaining about there being nothing new to do in Storybrooke.”

“He- That wretch, he didn’t tell me anything about you but he was gossiping about me?”

Grace shrugged a shoulder. “Was he right?”

“Well, sure, but… I mean, look at me,” Ruby said, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to her jewellery and punk rock outfit. “I’m not exactly built for a night in the wilderness, now am I?”

“It looks good on you,” Grace said. “Besides, you'd have me there to take care of you. You don’t have to, it’s just a thought. But my tent’s just about big enough for both of us so all you’d need is a sleeping bag... and it’d certainly be an adventure.”

“I don’t know,” Ruby said slowly. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course! The woods aren’t going anywhere,” Grace said, and then gave Ruby a searching look, "and I'll still be around if you change your mind.”

Ruby bit her lip and nodded, and then leant forward eagerly. “So, tell me, have you ever seen a bear?”

*

By the time they had the tent set up, Ruby’s teeth were chattering and even Grace looked a little shaken.

“I am so sorry,” she said as she urged Ruby inside and started wrestling with their sleeping bags. “I haven’t seen a storm come on that fast in a long time, this is definitely not what I meant when I said I wanted to show you the wonders of the outdoors.”

“D-don’t me-ention it,” Ruby said, rubbing desperately at her arms. “Though I don’t think this is really going to do much to protect us,” she said, gesturing to the thin walls that were still struggling to flap and flutter with each gust of wind outside.

“We need to get into the sleeping bags,” Grace said, fussing with the zips.

“Bags?” Ruby asked doubtfully. “That looks more like bag, singular. Please tell me we didn’t forget to pack something. Oh god, I’m going to freeze to death out here, aren’t I? I told you I wasn’t built for this!”

“Relax,” Grace said, pausing briefly to reach over and squeeze Ruby’s shoulder. “I know what I’m doing. I’m connecting our bags together so we can share body heat. It’ll help, trust me.”

Ruby just shivered in response.

By the time Grace had finished and they were wrapped up, some of the wind seemed to have passed them by.

“This is almost peaceful, now,” Ruby said, her words muffled from where her face was half buried under the top of the sleeping bag but complaint still evident in her tone.

Grace puffed an amused breath against her hair. “Just wait, it’ll probably start up again soon.”

“Why wasn’t there a lull when we were fighting to get the tent set up without it being blown away?” Ruby said, and felt Grace’s shoulders shake silently with laughter.

“I did promise you an adventure,” she pointed out eventually.

Ruby just hummed and pressed closer.

“You know, you never did tell me what changed your mind about joining me out here.”

“Figured I’d have you trapped so you'd have to answer all the questions you still keep dodging in the diner,” Ruby admitted sleepily.

“Just making sure I can keep you interested. So, what, I’m stuck with you now?” Grace asked softly, wrapping an arm around Ruby’s shoulders. “Are you going to interrogate me?”

“I’m going to do something to you,” Ruby said, emerging a little from her cocoon to look Grace in the eyes.

“This is some heck of a first actual date I’ve brought you on. I really am sorry about that.”

Ruby just untangled a hand from the sleeping bag and pressed it against Grace’s lips. “Hush. I think this is perfect,” she said, and leant in for a kiss.


End file.
